The PRS range consists of 4 different lines:
- SE
- S2
- CE
- Core
In this article I’ll be comparing the SE and S2 lines and the reasons why the S2 models are significantly more expensive than the SE models. I’ll start with an overview of the features and then jump into specific model comparisons e.g. SE vs S2 Custom 24.
Country of Manufacture
PRS SE electric guitars are made in South Korea and Indonesia, whereas PRS S2 guitars are all made in the USA. The PRS S2 line of guitars are made in same factory as the flagship Core line and Custom Shop models, located in Stevensville, Maryland.
This is one of the biggest draws of the S2 line as the USA is highly regarded as the best country for manufacturing high-end guitars in the world.
However, that doesn’t mean that SE guitars aren’t well made, in fact the opposite is true. South Korea has a very solid reputation for producing high-quality guitars with excellent build quality.
Body Shape and Top Wood
On the models which feature a maple top (e.g. Custom 24 and McCarty 594), the quality and appearance is better on the S2 versions compared to the SE versions.
On the SE models you get a fairly basic thinner maple veneer, whereas on the S2 models you get a proper maple cap. The S2 guitars also have a more dramatic “asymmetrical bevel” top carve compared to the shallower and less impressive looking “shallow violin” carve on the SE models.
Construction
Another upgrade found on the S2 guitars is the scarf joint (compared to the multi-ply construction on the SE line). The benefit of the scarf joint is that it’s stronger and less prone to breakage at the headstock.
Other Differences
Some differences between S2 and SE guitar are model-specific, so in the later sections of this article I’ll be comparing individual models directly such as the Custom 24. These differences include:
- Neck wood
- Neck shape and depth
- Headstock logo
- Tuning machines (some S2 models have locking tuners)
- Fretboard inlays
- Pickups (although on many models the pickups are actually the same)
- Cosmetic differences e.g. satin/ gloss, color, pickguard
- Stock string gauge
Guitars Available in Each Range
Here is a full list of electric guitars available in the PRS SE and S2 lines.
Solid Body
| Model | PRS SE | PRS S2 |
| Custom 24 | Yes | Yes |
| Custom 24-08 | Yes | Yes |
| Custom 24 Floyd | Yes | No |
| Standard 24 | Yes | Yes |
| Standard 24-08 | Yes | No |
| Standard 22 | No | Yes |
| Paul’s Guitar | Yes | No |
| Mira | Yes | No |
| Vela | No | Yes |
| Starla Stoptail | Yes | No |
| McCarty 594 | Yes | Yes |
| McCarty 594 Singlecut | Yes | Yes |
| McCarty 594 Thinline | No | Yes |
| 277 | Yes | No |
| Silver Sky | Yes | No |
| Mark Holcomb | Yes | No |
| Mark Tremonti | Yes | No |
| Santana | Yes | No |
| Zach Myers | Yes | No |
| SGT | Yes | No |
Semi-Hollow and Hollow Body
| Model | PRS SE | PRS S2 |
| Custom 22 Semi-Hollow | Yes | No |
| Hollowbody Standard | Yes | No |
| Hollowbody Standard Piezo | Yes | No |
| Hollowbody II | Yes | No |
| Hollowbody II Piezo | Yes | No |
| Vela Semi-Hollow | No | Yes |
Don’t forget to check out these comparisons too:
Comparable Models
Rather than going through more generalisations between the two lines, I wanted to go in-depth and compare exact models in the SE and S2 lines.
In this section I’ll directly compare SE and S2 versions of the following shapes:
- Custom 24
- Standard 24
- McCarty 594 (/Singlecut)
PRS SE vs S2 Custom 24
Here is a table highlighting all the differences between the PRS SE and SE Custom 24.
| Specification | PRS SE Custom 24 | PRS S2 Custom 24 |
| Top | Flame Maple Veneer | Flame Maple Cap |
| Top Carve | Shallow Violin | Asymmetric Bevel |
| Neck Wood | Maple | Mahogany |
| Construction | Multi-Ply | Scarfed |
| Neck Shape | Wide Thin | Pattern Thin |
| Neck Depth at Nut | 0.78″ | 0.83″ |
| Headstock Logo | “SE” | Signature |
| Tuners | PRS Designed | PRS Low Mass Locking |
| Strings | 9-42 | 10-46 |
| Made In | South Korea | USA |
| Price | $850 | $1900 |
The main differences between the PRS SE and PRS S2 Custom 24 are that the S2 has a thicker maple top with a more dramatic carve, an upgraded scarfed construction, locking tuners and uses a different neck and wood shape compared to the SE.
The PRS SE Custom 24 has a “wide thin” neck whereas the S2 Custom 24 has a “pattern thin” neck. As you can see from the dimensions below, the “wide thin” on the SE has less depth compared to the “Pattern Thin” on the S2, but both have the same fretboard width.
Check out my guide to the different PRS neck profiles to learn more.
| Wide Thin (SE) | Pattern Thin (S2) | |
| Neck Depth at Nut | 0.81″ | 0.83″ |
| Fretboard Width at Nut | 1.69″ | 1.69″ |
| Fretboard Width at Body | 2.25″ | 2.25″ |
In terms of the tone, these two guitars are incredibly similar as they both use the same pickups. They also both have a 3-way pickup selector and coil splitting.
Similarities:
- 85/15 “S” pickups
- Mahogany body
- Bird fretboard inlays
- PRS Double-Acting truss rod
- Fretboard width at nut and body
- Rosewood fretboard
- 10″ fingerboard radius
- PRS Tremolo bridge
- Synthetic nut
- 3-way pickup selector
- Pull-pull tone pot for coil splitting
- Set-neck construction
- Gig bag included
PRS SE vs S2 Standard 24
Here is a table highlighting all the differences between the PRS SE and SE Standard 24.
| Specification | PRS SE Standard 24 | PRS S2 Standard 24 |
| Top Carve | Shallow Violin | Asymmetric Bevel |
| Neck Wood | Maple | Mahogany |
| Construction | Multi-Ply | Scarfed |
| Neck Shape | Wide Thin | Pattern Regular |
| Neck Depth at Nut | 13/16” | 27/32” |
| Fretboard Width at Nut | 1 11/16” | 1 21/32” |
| Fretboard Width at Body | 2 1/4” | 2 1/4” |
| Fretboard Inlay | Birds | Dots |
| Headstock Logo | “SE” | Signature |
| Tuners | PRS Designed | PRS Low Mass Locking |
| Pickups | 85/15 “S” | 58/15 LT “S” |
| Pickup Cover | No | Yes |
| Strings | 9-42 | 10-46 |
| Pickguard | No | Yes |
| Finish | Gloss | Gloss or Satin |
| Made In | South Korea | USA |
| Price | $650 | $1700 |
The main difference between the S2 and SE Standard 24 guitars is the pickups. The SE uses 85/15 “S” humbuckers whereas the S2 uses 58/15 LT “S” humbuckers. The pickups on the SE are uncovered so sound brighter and they are also hotter compared to the pickups on the S2 which have a more “vintage tone”.
Another difference between these two guitars is the neck shape. The SE’s “Wide Thin” neck is not as deep, but has a wider fretboard at the nut compared to the S2’s “Pattern Regular” neck. Both necks have the same fretboard width at the body.
Check out my guide to the different PRS neck profiles to learn more.
| Wide Thin (SE) | Pattern Regular (S2) | |
| Neck Depth at Nut | 0.78″ | 0.84″ |
| Fretboard Width at Nut | 1.69″ | 1.66″ |
| Fretboard Width at Body | 2.25″ | 2.25″ |
Similarities:
- Mahogany body
- PRS Double-Acting truss rod
- Rosewood fretboard
- 10″ fingerboard radius
- PRS Tremolo bridge
- Synthetic nut
- 3-way pickup selector
- Pull-pull tone pot for coil splitting
- Set-neck construction
- Gig bag included
PRS SE vs S2 McCarty 594
The specifications are the same for the McCarty 594 and McCarty 594 Singlecut, the only difference being the number of cutaways.
Here is a table highlighting all the differences between the PRS SE and SE McCarty 594.
| Specification | PRS SE McCarty 594 | PRS S2 McCarty 594 |
| Top | Flame Maple Veneer | Flame Maple Cap |
| Top Carve | Shallow Violin | Asymmetric Bevel |
| Construction | Multi-Ply | Scarfed |
| Headstock Logo | “SE” | Signature |
| Made In | South Korea | USA |
| Price | $950 | $1950 |
The main differences between the SE and S2 McCarty 594 models are that the S2 has a thicker maple top with a more dramatic curve, upgraded scarf joint construction and is made in the USA whereas the SE version is made in South Korea.
Both these guitars use the same pickups and neck design so feel and sound very similar to one another.
Similarities:
- 58/15 LT “S” pickups
- Mahogany body and neck
- Bird fretboard inlays
- PRS Double-Acting truss rod
- Pattern vintage neck shape
- Fretboard width at nut and body
- Rosewood fretboard
- 10″ fingerboard radius
- PRS two-piece bridge
- PRS vintage style tuners
- Synthetic nut
- 3-way pickup selector
- Pull-pull tone pot for coil splitting
- Set-neck construction
- 10-46 gauge strings
- Gig bag included
Check out my comparison between PRS SE and Core guitars.